The summer this year is particularly hot, but hotter still are the various styles you can sport. In a few of my earlier articles I mentioned how this season brought with it not one or two, but various summer must-wear styles. And, in keeping with summer essentials, I bring you the grand nautical stripes that are another summer essential.
It's safe to say that this is one look that has always been in style... and it's a keeper. It follows a pattern - every few seasons it makes appearances on the runways, and once it does, it has strong stay value in terms of shelf life. The iconic blue and white stripes and sailor cap are unforgettable and summer 2014 is all about the nautical look.
The Style
Before I got into details about the nautical look, it's essential to understand that the nautical look is a style, not a trend. Since it's the nautical look, the colours are all very sailor-like. So you have white, cream, navy and even some red. Typically, these colours are considered nautical colours.
And of course, when it comes to nautical prints, the most common ones are the unbeatable, unforgettable nautical stripes and the anchor print. When aiming for a nautical look, you can pick any nautical colour and team it with either the stripes or you can opt for the anchor print. Here are five amazing looks that will help you achieve your nautical look. Additionally, when putting your look together, ensure that you pick one standout nautical look as opposed. Here's how you can do it.
Look 1
Pick a blue and white striped t-shirt, which you can team with a pair of slim-fit white cotton pants. You can choose to layer with a white cotton shirt that you can leave unbuttoned. Finish your look with navy blue deck shoes and you're good to go. The navy shoes make for a perfect contrast against your white pants and become a statement piece in the process. This gives you a very casual, relaxed and informal look, and works perfectly well for a casual lunch, a day at the barbeque or even a day spent at the mall.
Look 2
Wear a sky blue shirt with navy chinos and team it with a lightweight navy blazer. Like Look 1, finish this look with navy deck shoes. Here, your shirt becomes the statement piece and point of focus. Even though this look is basic and fairly simple to put together, it makes the semi-formal look seem magical because of its simplicity. In case you're feeling extra preppy, you can tie an anchor-printed scarf around your neck but it's not essential to this look. If you want to pipe this look down, wear the blazer with a striped t-shirt instead of the blue shirt.
Look 3
Wear beige knee-length short with a striped t-shirt. Finish this look with white deck shoes. This is a casual look that's perfect for a day on the high seas, a casual brunch or even a picnic. You can funk-up this look by opting for eye-catching blue socks that can become a statement piece. However, whether you choose to wear socks or go sockless, this look is a winning one.
Look 4
Now, if you're aiming for a preppy look, wear a white t-shirt with navy stripes with high-rolled sleeves. Team this with a pair of slim-fitting cropped white pants. Finish this look with white suede derby shoes. Heading out to your fancy country club? This is the look for you.
Look 5
Have you ever thought of teaming a blazer with a pair of knee-length shorts? No? Well, now's the time to go all out. Wear a sky blue shirt over knee-length cream cotton shorts. Layer up with a lightweight cream blazer, and complete the look with a pair of light blue pumps. This look is unique and you don't really need a statement piece here because the whole look becomes talk-worthy!
Finally, there are numerous other ways to achieve the perfect nautical look and you really should try and do something unique each time you wear it. When it comes to your shoes, all shades of brown, navy and white boat shoes work brilliantly well.
By Nisha Samson
